Mind Of An Assassin
by ShadowAssassin41
Summary: In order to catch an Assassin, you need to think like one." Four people are suspects of being the Assassin and Sakura has to figure out which one with the help of Shikamaru and Ino. Can they find the Assassin before they strike again?
1. Another One Down

**Chapter 1**

**Another One Down**

**...\~/...**

Tatsuya Kaiden was lying lazily in his carriage, arms stretched over his head which was covered in fine silk, only made in his village. His clothes were of the same material, just a bit more ostentatious. Kimono-styled and patterned with richly colored sakura blossoms, anyone who saw him would know he was made up of wealth and power. And he was, there was no doubt about it. Every morning, he would stand out on his balcony, smirking proudly at how every villager would be on their knees, bowing. Their actions made him feel powerful and he basked in it. In his village, everyone had to bow to him in order to stay alive, but, until recently, a young girl of only sixteen, was late to the morning bowing.

Tatsuya opened one eye, smirking when he saw the young girl at his feet, rubbing them gently. She was too pretty to kill so instead of the torturous entertainment that his men gave to him while they slowly killed his disobeyer; he took her in as a harlot. The father put up a pretty good fight, but his soldier's blades were too much and the old man fell in his own puddle of blood. The scene had brought pleasure to the King, but the girl lost a part of her sanity, for her father died because of her and now she had to do _whatever_ the King asked her to do.

A cold breeze passed the guards, blowing against their stone-like faces. The men's eyes were narrowed, trying hard to keep the wind out of them and their shoulders were growing stiff from all the carrying they had done that day. Their stomachs growled from hunger, but the relief that Konoha was only miles away kept them going. There, they would be able to sit down and have a nice meal, many cups of sake, and hopefully a good night's rest.

Inside, Tatsuya was growing bored, but of course his only source of entertainment was at his feet, ready to assist him in any way she could to keep her pretty little neck from being bruised. He laid down, the girl never stopping her massaging. Tatsuya folded his hands on his bulging stomach, closing his eyes once more.

The guards outside kept their eyes open at all times, watching. If anything were to happen to the King, they'd all die. They were trained to have a keen eye; all practicing by staring at screens and looking for differences in between the two pictures. Their ears could hear anything, even from a mile away, and whatever aroma filled the air, they could indentify. But there was one thing that they couldn't detect and they were watching them.

The white-cloaked figure was perched up in a tree, blending in despite the color differences. Their eyes were covered by the hood, but their lips were set in a firm line. A sharpened sword was sheathed at the hip, two smaller blades, their assassination blades, were located under the sleeves, ready to be colored crimson. A smaller sword was strapped to their back for easy access, and a pouch that contained throwing knives held about twenty. The figure watched the carriage, body itching to kill the bastard.

Tatsuya looked at his harlot, grinning widely. "Come here, my sweet. It's time for our evening fun." The young girl shook her head as the large man approached, crawling towards her. "No, no, please, not again..." The girl's lips were caught by his, his nasty tongue prying her lips apart. It was too much...she hated him for what he did to her and her father.

The white-clothed figure followed, jumping from branch to branch until they were finally settled at a perfect destination. They dug a throwing knife from their pouch and threw it quickly, the blade digging into the first man's neck, striking a pressure point that killed him immediately. The guard that stood beside him grabbed the other's post, pushing it up with great strength.

Tatsuya had jerked forward, falling on the girl who cried out from all the weight. "Get off of me!"

The figure jumped from their hiding place, retracting their small sword and pushed it through the struggling man's chest, then pulled out the now blood-covered blade, and striking him between the eyes. The front end of the carriage fell and the two people inside tumbled forward, almost falling through. The white-clothed figure walked to the back, confronting the two muscular guards. The cloaked figure blocked the attacking sword and circled the blade around until the opponent's blade fell to the side, and the figure could push their blade multiple times through the chest.

The other guard shook as the cloaked figure turned towards him, their lips forming a wicked smirk. That was the last thing he saw before the figure switched out an assassination blade and pushed it up the roof of his mouth, instantly killing him.

Though the figure had just killed a man, they gently put him to the ground, closing his eyes. Now the only thing that was standing in the way of success was the King, who was still in the carriage, but it wasn't long until he poked his head out, scanning the area.

"Stupid guards, don't you know how to carry someone?" The King's eyes looked to his left and he let out a gasp when he saw his soldier lying on the ground in a pool of shimmering blood. The other three were also dead and the King fell back into his carriage. The young girl shook in the corner for she could smell the iron rafting through the air. "C-Can you p-please do something, sir?"

The man glared at her. "Are you mad? I could get killed!"

"B-But think o-of all the g-glory you would get." the girl stammered, but her voice suddenly got steady. "Just think of people not only bowing to you, but to your name also. You'd become a world-renown figure; you'll go down into history as one of the first people to kill an Assassin. All the more women...money...jewels..._everything_ would be in your possession."

Tatsuya took a moment to process all that information, suddenly breaking out into a grin. "I'll do it." Typical; the man was so full of himself; he probably thought he could rule the world. The young girl watched as the King climbed out, taking out his sword. She knew he was already vulnerable because of the fog, but his arrogance got in the way of that. The King stood there, searching for any movement. He knew that the Assassin would probably try and take his life from behind so he turned, watching the sky. Not a very smart move, but he thought he was invincible...and that thought cost him his life.

A pain entered his foot and he cried in pain, falling to his knees. The same pain entered his stomach, then chest, and he knew what was next when he fell to the ground on his back. The figure was on top of the carriage in a heartbeat, towering over him. If only his guards were here...

"Your death is the only way to pay for the sins you have committed."

The King shook his head, "Please, I beg you mercy."

"Mercy...? I have none." And the cloaked figure dove towards him, sending their assassination knife through his head. Blood poured out from the back, staining his fine clothing. The white-cloaked figure had no stains on their clothing, but their blade was shimmering with blood, the upper part was so nicely polished, it reflected the young girl's face. The Assassin turned as they stood up, staring at the girl.

"Is he gone?" she asked, standing there with a hopeful look on her face. She gave a sigh of relief when the figure nodded, and she clutched her heart. "He has caused me great pain, both physically and mentally." Even though the person didn't respond, she felt like they had a connection. They were her savior, and she was most grateful. "Can I be of any service?" she asked, stepping out from the carriage.

The figure shook their head, but they stepped towards her. The Assassin calmly took her hand and pressed their lips to her forehead. The young girl closed her eyes, smiling at the love and peace the kiss brought. It wasn't one of those kisses that passionate lovers gave to one another, but it brought this calming sensation to her whole body. She remembered the stories her father had told her about how Assassins would give a kiss to the forehead when there was a distressed innocent around.

"Thank you." the young girl said, releasing the grip from the Assassin's hand. They disappeared into the trees, leaving the girl standing there. The Assassin was her savior...and she would never forget them.

**...\~/...**

_Morning..._

**_...\~/..._**

Akira Feisu knelt down beside the corpse, pressing her two fingers against their neck. Even though they were obviously dead, it was protocol to make sure that they didn't have the slightest pulse or else they would lose their rank and be put through a whole year of lectures and the first time around was torture; the second time would be murder. "He's dead!" she declared, noting it in her notepad. The Medical Corps and ANBU Black Ops were also there, scanning the area for any traces of the murderer.

"Any signs of them?" she asked, standing up when her legs began to cramp. The leader of the ANBU shook his head. Akira gritted her teeth, looking back down at the corpse. "For five years I've been trying to track this Assassin down and still nothing..." she muttered to herself. She flipped her notepad shut, shoving the pencil behind her ear. "Hey Kakashi," she called out, looking over her shoulder. "Have your dogs found any traces?" she asked, staring at the silver-haired man. He too, shook his head.

"Whoever this Assassin is is a damn good one."

"You bet they are. This is the sixth kill in a month. That's got to be the hundredth kill in a year." When there's been several kills in a month for a whole five years, the total starts getting into the high numbers. "This person is definitely in the Bingo Book."

The Medical Corps gathered the last body in a bag and set it down gently with the other four bodies. They heaved them into a cart, stacked one on top of the other. The leader started to pull the cart towards the village, preparing them for examinations.

"I have to go to Lady Hokage and you," Akira jabbed her finger into Kakashi's chest, then stuffing papers into his hand. "Have paperwork to do." She gave him a cheeky grin when he gave her that half-opened eye look.

"Oh, how the excitement is filling me up..."

Akira grinned, patting Kakashi on the chest with her hand. "I knew you were. Now, I have to go."

**...\~/...**

Tsunade slammed her hands into her desk as Akira told her the news. "That's the sixth this month! How can they slip through our fingers again?" Akira watched as the woman plopped herself in her chair, setting her cheek upon her clenched fist. Her fingers drummed against the desk as she stared out onto the village. "These are my people that this Assassin is endangering. What if they target one of us next?"

Akira flipped through her notepad, rubbing her neck. "It seems that whenever you invite a King or someone of high status to come along, they always get killed."

Tsunade turned her chair around, giving a narrow-eyed look to Akira. "Thank you for stating the obvious." Her eyes flicked to the door when there was a knock. "Come in!" Tsunade called out. The door opened and Shizune stepped in, carrying the pig, Tonton. "Lady Tsunade, you have a visitor."

"Bring them in."

Shizune pulled the door open, stepping away to reveal a small, young girl with hair the color of golden wheat and eyes the color of cerulean. Her hands were folded politely in front of her skirt, and she bowed her head towards the blonde woman. "If I may, I can give you some information on the Assassin that I saw last night." The room got silent and Akira's eyes grew wide as shock filled her. This was the first time that the Assassin left a survivor.

"The Assassin saved me last night, saved me from the King I mean. They gave me their Calming Kiss."

This wasn't the first time that Assassins have been known to do that. There were Assassins all over the world that committed such an act, but this was the first time that _this _Assassin was said to do such a thing. "The Assassin was wearing a white cloak and had about four blades on, possibly more, but they were hidden. They killed with such skill..." She faded away into a state of wonderment. She quickly bowed her head, "I apologize if the information is unneeded or already known, but..."

Akira raised an eyebrow, "But what?"

"I think this Assassin has a good heart..."

There was another knock at the door, but this person didn't stop to wait for an invitation. Kakashi stepped in, bearing papers. "I have information, Akira." He noticed the girl that looked shyly over her shoulder at him, a thin line of blush running across her cheeks. "Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt."

Tsunade glared at him, "Liar..." she muttered, loud enough for everyone to hear. Kakashi gave a nervous laugh, but he came in the rest of the way. Akira's arms were crossed, but she still unfolded one, motioning for the papers. He handed them to her, watching as she read them quickly, soaking up the information like a sponge. "No wonder the Assassin chose this guy to kill...he's pure evil..."

"What's the problem with him?" Shizune asked, knowing that Tsunade was wondering the same thing. Akira opened her mouth to speak, but the young girl spoke first. "He kills people for pleasure. Every morning, he stands out on his balcony and watches people bow down to him. If one person is late, they are arrested, brought to the castle, and tortured in front of him." Her eyes started to water, but she quickly wiped the tears away with her sleeve. "I've watched the killings and he laughed every time." Akira's gaze softened when she saw the girl's bottom lip quiver.

"He's also big on prostitution. He sends five girls to every village to try and sell themselves for money."

"We know." Tsunade muttered. "They arrived not too long ago. Now they're being educated properly and have been making appropriate livings. I will have no such thing in my village..."

The girl nodded, "Maybe the Assassin noticed what he had been doing to us and wanted to pay him back." The girl's hand went to her heart and she smiled appreciatively. "I know for one thing, they saved me and now...I'm as happy as I've ever been." Akira smiled at the girl who smiled back shyly, wringing her hands.

Tsunade looked back out at the village, cogitating. "What is your name, child?" she asked. The girl looked up, "Ayumi, miss, Ayumi Kotone." They watched Tsunade nod. "You'll be staying with the Hyugas. I will inform and arrange with Hiashi and you will work as a maid for them. Hopefully, the life that the King has caused you to lose will be made up with your time there. I will also have the Hyugas teach you the basics in the jutsus so if you are to ever get in trouble again, you'll be able to fend for yourself." Tsunade stood up, hands clasped behind her.

Ayumi's face broke out into a smile and she ran to Tsunade, hugging her tightly. "Thank you so much!" she cried, tears suddenly falling. Tsunade looked down at the girl and smiled, surrounding the girl in a kind warmth she hadn't felt in a long time.

"Akira, I want you to go get Sakura. I need to discuss some things with her."

Akira nodded and walked past Kakashi and Shizune, closing the door behind her. "Kakashi, please fetch Hiashi and bring him here." The Jonin nodded, and disappeared in a puff of smoke.

Tsunade continued to stroke the crying girl's hair. _'This is going to be a long day...'_

**...\~/...**

Sakura sat in the Ichiraku Ramen Bar with Naruto, Shikamaru, and Choji. The four had just returned from a simple escort mission that had taken them awhile to take the annoying couple to Suna, but they received their money and all of them had a craving for ramen, except for Sakura, something was on her mind that kept her from eating like the others. She felt like something was going to happen, something that was going to change the village.

"Sakura, are you okay?" Shikamaru asked, the only one that always seemed to stop and ask her things while the other two inhaled their food. That was Shikamaru for you; he was the one that you would think wouldn't care, but he was always the first one to ask. He was always aware to the feelings of his friends and that's what Sakura liked about him. She remembered when she first met him and he annoyed her so much, but they both matured and became good comrades.

"I'm just...I feel funny..."

"Good funny or bad funny?"

"The bad..."

Shikamaru smirked, turning back to his ramen. "Well, that's a drag..." Sakura smirked also; everything was a drag to him. "I feel like something bad's going to happen." She continued to play with her food as Shikamaru stared at her, reading her emotions. He only gave a 'hm' before slurping up some ramen. Sakura looked over her shoulder when someone came in. "Akira..."

The blonde girl smiled and her presence made everyone turn. "Well, long time no see," Shikamaru said, smirking. "Haven't seen you in awhile." Akira returned the smirk. "I've been busy; Sakura, Lady Tsunade needs to speak to you. I think it has something to do with the latest assassination." The owner of the bar looked up when she informed them that piece of information.

"Who was it this time?"

"A merchant king by the name of Tatsuya Raiden; big on prostitution and murder. We have a girl that witnessed the whole thing and said that the Assassin gave her the Calming Kiss, can you believe it?" Teuchi frowned, hands on his hips. "Sort of...with this Assassin at least." Sakura was beside Akira in a second, ready to go. "That's what I said too. Hopefully we'll catch them this time."

"Hopefully..." Shikamaru muttered, staring at Akira. When the two girls left, Choji started to laugh. Naruto gave him a confused look, "What's so funny?" he asked. Choji shook his head, slurping down the broth. Shikamaru, on the other hand, knew exactly what Choji was laughing about.

"Shut up Choji..."

**...\~/...**

When Sakura and Akira arrived, Kakashi was leaning against the wall, arms crossed. "Hello, Kakashi-sensei." Sakura greeted. He waved, turning the page in his book, not paying any attention to the two. Akira knocked on the door, waiting for Tsunade to say..."Come in." Akira opened the door, stepping away so Sakura could come in. "You coming?" Akira asked. Kakashi shook his head, his eyes scanning his book. Akira nodded, stepping in and shutting the door behind her. Ayumi and Hiashi were standing there, staring at the newcomers. Ayumi was blushing vividly due to the presence of the higher-up, but Hiashi, as always, remained stern.

"I believe my nephew will be more than capable of training this girl. It'll be good practice for him."

"I agree." Tsunade said, leaning back in her chair. "Have a nice day, Ayumi." The small blonde girl bowed politely and followed Hiashi out the door. Once it closed, Tsunade turned her attention to the two girls. "Sakura, I need to speak to you alone. Akira, I need you to go and see if the Medical Corps have found anything that might lead us to this Assassin." Akira nodded and left, leaving Sakura and her Master alone. Tsunade folded her hands under her chin, looking over at her student.

"I need you to do a favor for me, a favor that requires a watchful eye, social skills, and most of all, secrecy. The only people that you may discuss things with are Akira and I. Akira because she knows more about minds than any ninja I've ever seen. And me, well, that's kind of obvious."

"Yes, ma'am."

Tsunade shifted some files around when she held out one manila file. Sakura took it, flipping through the pages. "In that file contains suspects that I assume might be the Assassin." Sakura scanned over the first page: Izumi Yamanaka, Ino's cousin.

"Even though Izumi may look and act sweet, her skills of gaining information are incredible. There are some things that she's told me that are confidential and only the highest-ranking ninja have access to. Keep an eye out for her and if you find her sneaking around, tell me."

"The second person is a newcomer named Daichi Hideki. He's an excellent swordsman and sword maker, the kind of skill that an Assassin may hold. He's often seen lurking around the streets at night and seemingly disappears on the days of the killings. Be very careful when confronting him."

"The third person is a woman named Haruka Jun. Her past is truly a mystery and she claims that she can't remember, but I've heard that story far too many times to believe it. The memory story is often a cover-up for something that people don't want to admit."

"The fourth and final person is a man named Saburo Susumu. He's been all over the world, according to his stories, but he's stuck around for five years, enough time to commit all these assassinations. He's the big, muscular man that everyone describes that looks like a bear, remember?"

"Yes, I remember."

"Sakura," Tsunade stood up, walking over to her students. She laid her hands on Sakura's shoulders and looked into her eyes. "If you don't feel comfortable about doing this mission, just tell me or if you're confident now, but change your mind later, you can tell me and I'll send someone else to do it. But as good as you are with illusions; I think you may be able to see through people's lies just as well as anyone else."

Sakura nodded, her fingers tightening around the manila folder. "I accept."

"Good," Tsunade placed a caring kiss on Sakura's forehead and patted her on the shoulder. "You've grown a lot."

"Thank you, ma'am."

"And be careful."

"I will. And don't worry; I won't let you down."

* * *

**So how was it for a first chapter? Good, bad, weird, cool, well, review and tell me what you think.**


	2. Just Watching

**Chapter 2**

**Just Watching**

**...\~/...**

Sakura's eyes opened, only to close them quickly when the sunbeams blinded her. She hated her room in the morning; in the evening she liked it because the moon was just in her view. She loved the moon, probably because she had always dreamed of standing under it, receiving her first kiss from the boy of her dreams. Sakura groaned as she swung her legs over the side, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. Her pink hair stuck up in all directions and she pushed it behind her ears. The wood moaned beneath her feet when she stood. The floor moaning was the worst sound ever...made her feel fat...

"Sakura! Breakfast's ready!" her mother called from the kitchen.

"I'm coming!" Sakura walked over to her dresser, pulling out a black skirt and dark red, kimono-styled top. She pulled them on slowly, her muscles still stiff from the restless night's sleep. Her mind never stopped thinking about the day before, mainly the mission. What if she messed up and picked the wrong person? What if the Assassin killed another person and she failed. Maybe Lady Tsunade didn't care about that, but only cared if she caught the culprit. Then she'd be a hero.

"Sakura!"

"I'm coming, mother!"

"The food's getting cold!"

Sakura growled in frustration. She hated her mother's bossy attitude, the way she thought she knew everything, and most of all, her screaming. Every night, her parents would get into fights, screaming and sometimes throwing things around. But that was only around here; out in public...those two acted like they were perfect, like they didn't have a care in the world. Sakura moved her door open, walking her own steady pace into the kitchen. Her mother stood at the stove, piling eggs onto a plate.

"You're finally here." her mother said, setting a plate on the table in an angry manner. Sakura just stared at it, her lips forming a deep frown. Her mom looked at her second, then back at her pan, but she looked back to see the almost worried look on her daughter's face. Sakura watched as her mom shifted all her weight on one foot, placing her hand on her hip. "What is that look for?"

Sakura's green eyes caught her mom's darker ones. "I got a mission."

"But you get missions all the time." her mom replied, turning back to her pan to scrape the grease away. "What's so wrong about this one?" She looked over at her shoulder to see her daughter slowly sitting in her chair, grabbing her fork to beginning eating. Sakura noticed her mom's eyes narrow. "Well...?"

"I can't talk about it."

Sakura knew that annoyed look, the one that her mother gave her and her father all the time. Truth be told, she never really liked her mom. She remembered all the times that she would really need the woman and she wouldn't be there to comfort her, praise her, listen to things. Sakura's dad was always the one that was there and talking about boys, the latest fashions, and girly stuff was always awkward. Her dad always tried to understand and make things better. Her dad was truly a remarkable person.

"Where's dad?"

Her mom gave a 'hm', shaking her head. "He went to stay at the Jonin barracks for the night. That dumbass doesn't know when to shut his mouth." Her mom laughed, "Said he wasn't seeing that slut. What an ass." Sakura gritted her teeth, dropping her fork which clinked on the plate. She stood up so fast that her chair knocked to the floor. The pink-haired woman spun around. "Sakura, what are you doing? You could've broken my plate!"

She watched her daughter stand there, hands pressed against the wood with her eyes closed calmly. "I hate you..." she said in an icy tone.

The woman watched with an open mouth as her daughter turned and walked away. No tears filled her eyes, to busy trying to figure out what she did to deserve those three words.

**...\~/...**

Akira drummed her fingers against the desk, scanning over the information that Kakashi had given her the day before. Nothing seemed to add up; there were no connections between the victims whatsoever, except for the twins the Assassin had murdered, but that was only family. "Damn." she said under her breath, dropping the papers. She covered her face with her hands, shielding the light from her eyes. "Five years and nothing..."

"Well, that's not exactly true." Akira looked up to see Kakashi standing there with his foot propped on the wall and his arms crossed. "We now know that this Assassin has some good in their heart."

"Yeah? But that doesn't tell us anything, it's just a detail." Akira picked another paper up, looking over the crimes the assassinated person had done. "I'm just...frustrated..."

"I know," he replied. "But that's no excuse to not get any sleep. You need sleep, Akira, you've got bags under your eyes." Akira sighed, running her fingers through her hair. "I was up all night, trying to see a connection between these victims." She stood up, rubbing her eyes. "I've found nothing."

"Because there might not be one. Not all Assassins connect their victims together to solve one cause. They sometimes pick them at random." He watched as Akira staggered over to the couch, plopping down on it. Kakashi leaned on the back, staring at his student. When she had first turned a Jonin, he was ordered to train her the Jonin's duties and since then, they'd formed a close bond-almost father and daughter.

That's when he noticed the thin scratch on her cheek, slightly bruised on the border. "Where'd you get this?" he asked, running his finger along it. Akira didn't open her eyes, wince, anything, just laid there. "My cat thought it would be funny to play rough last night." She could feel his eyes on her, staring intently. His stare always made her think he was searching for something in her soul and such, but he always failed.

"Sleep well."

"Doubt it..."

**...\~/...**

Izumi Yamanaka hummed cheerfully to herself as she watered the potted plants outside the Yamanaka flower shop. It was a mindless tune, one that she had heard the small children sing out in the streets. She watched closely as the small water droplets slid down the smooth, green leaves and onto the rich soil. The blossom itself was beautiful, but Izumi's favorite part of the flowers were the leaves for some strange reason.

"Hey Izumi," Ino called out, standing in the doorway with a crate in her arms. "Can you help me carry these in from the back? They arrived just this morning." Izumi smiled, setting down her can. "Sure, I'll do what I can." The reason why she never was a kunoichi like the rest of the Yamanaka family was because she was weak and fragile, almost looking like one swift slap would break her. Even though she didn't contain good taigutsu like her family, she was killer with the Yamanaka clan specialty jutsu.

The two girls walked to the back, Ino grabbing an extra crate while Izumi got her own. The walked to the store part again, opening them up to discover the shipments. "These are going to be beautiful." Ino commented, setting the seeds with the proper category on the walls. Izumi nodded, looking over the spotless vases that seemed to be a now popular item among the store. They were all specially made in the Earth country; made from natural clay, paints, and other materials.

"Did you hear about the recent attack from the Assassin. Remarkable, isn't it?" she questioned. Ino raised an eyebrow at her cousin's seemingly proud tone when she said that. _Was _she proud or just happy that she got a new piece of gossip? "Well, it's amazing that the Assassin can murder without leaving any evidence, but it's tearing up the whole village. We're all scared that we might be the next target."

The grin on Izumi's face was a little creepy. "I think the Assassin is truly an amazing person. Wouldn't you like to meet them?"

Ino gave a weird look, "No...not really...I think I might stay away from them as much as possible."

Izumi continued to bear the odd look when the door opened, familiar chime of the bell ringing throughout the store. Ino look up to see Sakura walk in, a small frown on her face. She gave a sigh of relief for two reasons: 1) she was no longer alone with her cousin and 2) it wasn't the Assassin. Izumi gave a brief wave before heading back to the back lot. Ino scurried over to the pink-haired kunoichi, grabbing her hands.

"You have to get me out of here." she said. The conversation before left her a bit creeped out. Sakura gave Ino an odd look, "What? Why?" She watched as her friend looked over to the back room.

"Izumi, she just-"

"Hey Ino," Both girls looked outside to see Choji standing there. "Want to get some breakfast?" he asked. "It's on me." he added. Ino nodded hurriedly, walking out at a fast pace, grabbing Choji's arm. A slight blush tinted his cheeks as they started to walk away, heading towards the newly-opened restaurant down the road. This left Sakura alone in the flower shop, surrounded by the sweet-smelling aromas, but also a dark atmosphere filled the room.

"Can I help you?"

Sakura looked up to see Izumi standing there, a smile on her face. Her smile was sweet enough to make Sakura become diabetic, but she didn't want to be rude so she smiled back. "How are you, Izumi?" she asked, hoping to find any signs of a traitor. She hoped that she'd be able to determine which one was the Assassin and get over it. Nothing seemed to be wrong... "I'm doing just fine. Thank you for asking."

Izumi looked like a Yamanaka female: long, blonde hair tied up in a ponytail, the same icy blue eyes, skinny figure, and small frame. Compared to Izumi, Ino looked like a horse, but that was already established long ago, but the two rivals/friends still gained some maturity and no longer exchanged names, though they still had their negative moments. Izumi also had that high-pitched voice that made Sakura's eardrums want to burst. If she was the Assassin, she didn't need a blade; all she needed was her voice.

Izumi yawned out of boredom. "Did you hear about the recent killing?" How'd she know that? Only the higher ranks knew about the recent assassination, but maybe Shikamaru told Ino the news and she spilled the beans. Sometimes, that girl needed to keep her mouth shut. "Isn't it amazing?" she asked. Amazing? That wasn't really the kind of word you used to describe a murder, unless you were psychotic, then that'd be understandable.

"Well, no, not really..." She had to wonder if Ino was going to tell her about the odd fascination her cousin held for the Assassin and murders. And her way of getting information _was _astounding. Lady Tsunade was right about adding her to the suspect list. Hopefully the others wouldn't be as odd.

"Not everyone holds respect for killers like the Assassin. They too have reasons, you know?"

Sakura nodded slowly, backing up to the door. "I'm sorry I couldn't stay long, but I have some other business to attend too." Sakura dashed out of there before Izumi could even say good-bye. Sakura trotted down the road quite a ways before stopping to take notes in a notepad she had bought from a store.

_Strange admiration for Assassin. Could possibly be telling others about how great she is if she is the Assassin._

Sakura flipped the notepad shut, continuing her way to Daichi Hideki.

**...\~/...**

She found Daichi kneeling over a slab of black stone, pounding the daylights out of a overheated, soon-to-be sword. Sweat slipped down in beads on his forehead and his red hair stuck to his skin. Sakura found him rather good-looking; it was a shame that he was probably the Assassin. She walked in, preparing to be as quiet as she could be when she hit her leg on a sharp tool.

"Damn it!" she cried out, falling to the ground. The older boy dropped his hammer, spinning around with an unsheathed sword in his hand. When he saw Sakura kneeling there, hand pressed against her leg with blood covering her hand, he slowly sheathed his sword and walked over to her. Grabbing a roll of bandages, he got on his knees and moved her hand gently. Sakura looked up at him, a slight blush appearing on her face.

"You shouldn't sneak up on people like that. Karma will fall upon you." His voice made her shiver and he gave a strange look. "It's a little cold in here." she lied, giving him a sheepish grin. He smiled, wrapping the bandages around her leg. As he was concentrating on that, Sakura concentrated on him. _'He's so hot...' _Sakura watched as his hair fell in front of his eyes, but he didn't push it away like most people would. And his eyes...they were a deep, reassuring brown that made her smile. He was muscular, tall, and seemed too gentle to be an Assassin, but of course, Assassins could act like anything in order to "disappear" from people's eyes.

"Well I..." She couldn't think of anything to say which made him chuckle. "Are you new in the village?" Stupid question, but it was all she could say.

"Yes, I am. I came from Suna, but they didn't really appreciate my skills so I came here to start fresh."

"What kind of skills?" She gave another sheepish look when he smirked, looking up at her from his work. "You're a little bit nosy, aren't you?" Sakura remained silent until he was done. She lifted herself up onto a nearby chair and watched him return to his sword-making. Suna had always been focused more on their jutsu instead of weapons, so maybe they thought his excessive sword-making was strange.

"I apologize for my rudeness, but I don't know you that well. I don't even know your name."

Sakura perked up, "Oh, it's Sakura Haruno." She watched Daichi smile. "Pretty name." he muttered as he started to hammer the steel into place. "It was my mother's name..." Sakura watched his eyes soften when he said that and his hits became slower. She took note to this. Assassins all had reasons to commit an assassination, but if someone killed his mother and he murdered the killer, wouldn't it be considered revenge?

"My name is Daichi Hideki." That's the last thing he said. Sakura knew it was the end of their discussion and she didn't nag him. The last thing she wanted to happen was that he would grow suspicious and throw her out...or maybe he already was. She stood up, her knee stinging slightly. Daichi never bothered to say good-bye as she left, probably to busy concentrating on other things.

Sakura closed the door behind her, wiping away the sweat on her brow. She took her notepad out.

_Possibly making a new sword because his old one for assassinations broke. Mother might have been murdered which could be the reason for anger and assassinations. _Sakura paused for a moment before writing down: _Too hot for his own good._

**...\~/...**

Tsunade ran her fingers along the corpse's cold body. His eyes were closed, lips set in a thin line. The guard had no chance to defend himself; the Assassin was too good. Tsunade's face was so close to the guards that she saw where the blade had entered him clearly. Three medical-nin stood in the background, studying her and her work. The blade had gone through the roof of his mouth and the top of his head. Dry blood caked his hair and flaked when she searched the wound. She popped the jaw open, examining the roof of his mouth.

"The blade was an inch thick and about a foot long." That's when she spotted it. "Get me some tweezers."

A medical-nin handed her a pair and watched as she carefully reached up and pinched a shimmering piece of silver. She held it up to line up with her view, frowning slightly. The metal was highly polished, taken good care of. It was a small piece, probably barely noticeable on the sword, but with the Assassin's keen eye, they'd most likely take it in for immediate repair. Tsunade continued to stare at it as she searched for an envelope. A medical-nin finally got a clue and grabbed one for her. Tsunade slipped the piece into the pouch and sealed it.

"We finally have something..."

**...\~/...**

Even though Ichiraku ramen was the best, it didn't look good to her. Seeing Naruto eat as much as she did, it got old after awhile and plus, she had no one to talk to; sitting by yourself was the most boring thing ever. Teuchi looked up from his cooking and shouted, "Welcome!" Sakura looked over her shoulder to see Shikamaru standing there, lifting the banner away from his face.

"Hey Sakura, mind if I eat with you?"

Sakura nodded, turning back to her ramen which she played with carelessly. Shikamaru ordered his ramen and looked over to his friend. "I heard about your mission." All she did was nod. "Who told you?" she asked. Teuchi set the bowl in front of Shikamaru and he took a bite before answering. "Lady Tsunade did." He dug his hand into his back pouch and set a small envelope beside her bowl.

"Be careful with that. It's evidence...a piece of metal from the Assassin's blade." Sakura tilted the envelope and a small piece of silver slipped out, making a light clink when it hit the counter. Teuchi watched in amazement as Sakura held the piece between her fingers, holding it up. "It looks nothing like the swords I saw in Daichi's workshop." Shikamaru raised an eyebrow. "Who's Daichi?"

Sakura frowned, "A suspect that Lady Tsunade has asked me to watch." She smiled softly. "I don't think he's the Assassin."

Shikamaru stopped to stare at her, but he slowly started to suck up the noodles again, licking the broth from his lips. "But how can you know that? You just met him today. Assassins have a way of covering up their true identities. You can never tell." Sakura shook her head, "He mentioned his mother and when he did, he got sad all of a sudden...a true sadness." Even though he looked upset, Shikamaru could be right; those might've been details to make her pity him.

Shikamaru slipped the metal piece back into the envelope, slipping it back into his pocket.

"Well, hopefully he's not because the way you describe him, he sounds like a good guy, considering that you just met him." Sakura looked over at Shikamaru who was smiling. He jumped off his stool, setting some money on the counter. "Just be careful, okay?"

Sakura nodded, watching as Shikamaru left, waving.

**...\~/...**

The figure narrowed their eyes as they watched the boy leave the seemingly popular ramen bar. Their eyes followed the boy and they slowly started to walk on the rooftops, making sure to keep their distance. The boy's hands were shoved in his pockets, but their eyes were focused on the back pouch where the piece of blade was located. The figure dropped into an alleyway, landing gracefully on their feet.

The road was full of loud people, the perfect distraction. They stepped into the crowd and gently pushed through, moving through the busy road towards their target. Their blade was hidden under their sleeve, their lips forming a thin line. The boy was only a few yards away so they sped up, careful of the people. Almost there...

"Hey, watch out!"

The figure ducked into an alleyway, watching three kids gather up a ball that they had kicked into the streets. The figure narrowed their eyes, sinking back into the shadows.

In the evening...that's when they would strike.

**...\~/...**

Haruka Jun lived in a mansion close to the borders of the Konoha. Elegantly made, she had to wonder if the owner remembered who made it. Lady Tsunade had mentioned that Haruka didn't remember much of her past. What happened to make her forget? Did someone hit her in the head because they were a little bit stronger than her during an attempted assassination? Maybe someone invented a memory-loss jutsu, if so; she'd love to learn it.

Sakura pushed open the gates, but jumped back when a shrieking alarm went off. A kunai in hand, she scanned the area, searching for the enemy. A net was released from above and it enveloped her, knocking her to the ground. Sakura struggled with it, noticing the door crack open. "C-Can you help me?" she asked, her hand getting tangled. The person closed the door, running off. "Please," Sakura finally removed the net, running towards the door. "Come back!" She stopped at the door, sliding it open. Now was not the time for manners...

She stepped in, looking around the dark room. What would've been the living room, wasn't. The place was completely bare, no furniture whatsoever. Only a single picture sat on a shelf that was above a ripped out fireplace. Sakura paused for moment, listening for any signs of movement. Her eyes flicked over to the left when she heard a shuffle in the other room. She moved slowly over to the door, sliding it open slowly. Sakura jumped back when a knife came down towards her. A figure advanced towards her, fingers clenched around the handle. Sakura's hands were clenched into fists, knuckles turning white.

The figure stepped from the shadows and into a faint stream of light. The figure, now identified as a woman, had super short hair that was just long enough for her to spike it in the front. Her eyes were a deep hazel which were narrowed towards her unwanted visitor. The woman looked unhealthy-dangerously pale and skinny; her clothes hung off of her, looking like they would fall off at any moment. The women ran from the light, swinging her knife towards Sakura which she blocked with a quickly pulled out kunai. Sakura struggled under all the pressure that the woman put on her side. Finally, Sakura swung her fist around, hitting the woman upside the head. Sakura watched the women crumble to the floor.

"Why'd you attack me?" Sakura asked, backing away just in case the woman tried to pull a side-sweep kick on her.

The woman looked up at her, gritting her teeth. "Why do ya think? You entered my house uninvited!"

Sakura walked over to the blinds, pulling them up. Bright light flooded the room and the woman shielded her eyes quickly, blinking furiously. Sakura noticed how her hair was dyed a deep purple and her skin wasn't just pale, it was almost white. Sakura had to wonder when the last time the woman went outside was. She probably avoided the outdoors because of whatever gave her the scar that stretched over her lips.

"Please...close the blinds..." the woman pleaded, her hands over her eyes.

Sakura pulled the cord, the shades falling back down. The woman removed her hands from her eyes, laying them on the ground. She stared at the knife and Sakura kicked it away quickly. She moved towards the picture on the mantle, noting the dustless frame. It was of the woman and a small boy. She looked healthier in the picture, her arms wrapped around the small boy. "Is this your son?" Sakura asked as she pulled down the picture, flashing it towards the woman.

The woman shook when she looked up. "No...he's my little brother..."

"What's your name?" Even though Sakura already knew it, she couldn't let the woman know that. The woman leaned back, crossing her legs. "It's Haruka Jun and I must ask you to leave." The seriousness in Haruka's eyes made her leave and she slid the entrance door closed quietly. Sakura walked to the outside gate and brought out her notepad.

_Sort of paranoid. It's complicated, but she could be an Assassin so she can get rid of all the people that might be out to get her. Also, what's up with her brother?_

Sakura closed it, sliding it back into her back pouch. Sakura looked over her shoulder to see Haruka standing there, staring through a small crack in the door. To Haruka, Sakura was probably just another person that was out to get her...and she was in a way. The next time she came to investigate, she'd definitely bring someone along. Sakura started to walk away, in search of the last person that she needed to meet: Saburo Susumu.

**...\~/...**

"So, I was sent out to track down this guy and in reality, it was actually a girl and man, was she hot!"

Sakura stopped outside the barbecue bar that Team 10 often went to. Inside was Saburo Susumu, hooting and hollering with his other huge friends. She had run into Saburo once before, actually, he was her leader on one of the missions she had gone on a few weeks ago. The team consisted of her, Kiba, and Neji, with Saburo as the leader. A strange team, but they were out to find the guy that Saburo was now talking about. All four had been surprised that the masked "man" had been a woman and Saburo and the target ended up having fun in the tent while she, Kiba, and Neji slept on the cold, hard ground with rain pouring down on them. Sakura started to laugh quietly when she remembered how the mission ended: Kiba, being his normal, hot-headed self was tired of hearing the two in the tent having sex and flipped the tent over, with some help from Neji, and Kiba rode away on top of Akamaru with his teammates following him.

Sakura walked in, ducking away into a booth that was far from Saburo. He was with three other guys, all equivalent in size and all seeming to lack in the intelligence area. Saburo had always been a creep in Sakura's eyes, just the way he stared at her on the mission. Fortunately, Kiba and Neji were there to keep an eye on him and both were strong enough to beat the livin' shit out of him if he tried to pull anything.

"What'd you do after that?" one of his friends asked. Saburo laughed, skipping over the part where Kiba and Neji flipped over the tent. "Well, I was heading back to the village after a long night and I was attacked by several enemies, possibly around twenty of them. I beat every one of them single-handed." Sakura sat there, slowly losing her temper. So not true; she, Kiba, and Neji went back and found him on the ground, being beaten by rogue ninjas wanting his money...and there were only two of them...pitiful. With one punch, Sakura had sent both ninja flying, and all three of them reluctantly took Saburo back to the village.

Sakura looked up when the owner of the store shouted out "Hello!" Saburo looked up also and whistled, "Hey there cutie, come sit with me, why don't cha." It was Akira, and she looked worried. She ignored Saburo's awful pick-up lines and scanned the restaurant, looking like she was searching for someone. "Hey Akira, over here." Sakura watched as Akira's icy blue eyes looked over at her and Akira walked over.

"What are you doing here?" Sakura asked.

Akira's eyes stared at the window and she had this spaced-out look to her. "Is it true that they found a bit of the Assassin's sword?" Sakura nodded. "Yeah; Shikamaru showed it to me earlier today. I think he's the one who's guarding it."

"Do you know where he is?" she questioned, looking over her shoulder at Saburo. He was whistling at a group of girls that had just come in. He was almost as bad as Jiraya... "Well, if he's not on a mission, he's probably sleeping under the clouds or something..." At least, that's where she always found him. "Why?" she asked when Akira turned to leave.

The Jonin looked over her shoulder at Sakura, "I need to see that shard. It's the only evidence we've ever found."

Sakura nodded, smiling. "Good luck on getting him up."

Akira nodded in return and walked away, ignoring Saburo's whistles. Sakura watched Akira through the window, smiling about how determined Akira was to find the Assassin and cure the village from a threat like the murderer. Hopefully the shard will bring clues to the crimes and help Akira solve it finally. Sakura stood up when she figured out that Saburo wasn't going to do anything. It was getting dark outside; evening was closing in on Konoha.

The streets were thinning down on people, all returning to their homes for the night. She, too, was heading home...hopefully her mom was wasted on the couch...

**...\~/...**

Night had fallen upon Konoha now, and Shikamaru was on his way home. People littered the roads in groups, totally wasted and talking loudly. Men hit on women, who either slapped them due to their lack of privacy or started a ferocious make-out session. Shikamaru frowned, wishing that his house was closer and it didn't take so much of his time getting there. Plus his mom would nag his ear off because he was stayed one minute late past his curfew.

Shikamaru turned into an alley when he saw some rowdy-looking men up ahead and really didn't want to deal with them. "That would be such a drag..." he muttered to himself, rubbing his neck as he yawned.

"Please, help me!" a woman screamed. His ears twitched when the scream was further down the alley. "Please, someone...!"

"Akira?" Shikamaru called out, starting out a jog towards the source of the scream. "Akira, where are you?" He reached the middle of the alleyway, scanning the area. He swore this was where she had been. "Shikamaru, up here!" He looked up to see Akira dangling from the building overhead. She was being held by the Assassin who made no move to let her down peacefully.

"Let her go!" Shikamaru yelled. Akira yelped when the Assassin let their arm fall, scaring her. Shikamaru grabbed several kunai and threw them at the Assassin. While the white-cloaked figure blocked those with their short blade, Shikamaru jumped up, holding a kunai. He swung his kunai out at the Assassin, but they blocked it easily. They threw Akira to the side toward the end of the building. She smashed her head against the wood, falling unconscious.

Shikamaru glanced over at Akira, a worried look in his eyes. He looked back at the Assassin when they started to speak. "You must never turn your back on your opponents." Shikamaru gritted his teeth. He would be able to tell the Hokage the gender if the figure's voice wasn't so low.

The Assassin stepped into the light, their blade glistening. Did the Assassin know that he was from the Nara clan and purposely stepped into the shadows or was it a clueless mistake? Either way, he couldn't let the Assassin go. Shikamaru put his fingers in the Rat sign, frowning in concentration. "Shadow Possession Jutsu!" His shadow extended through the darkness and attached itself to the Assassin.

"You're mine..." Shikamaru muttered. Hopefully a fellow ninja would come along and help him out, but something was off. Normally the opponent would be shocked that they were caught, but the Assassin stood there calmly, making no movements.

A knife handle smashed into the back of his head. Darkness enveloped his sight and he fell to the ground, unconscious.

The Assassin kneeled next to the boy, digging their hand into his back pouch. They retrieved the small envelope and slid it into their sleeve. The Assassin under the light disappeared in a cloud of smoke and the girl on their right continued to lay there. The Assassin stood up and walked away, sheathing their short blade.


End file.
